Soul and Sunshine

from the 7” single, Da-Wood Recrods, 1971



The late ’60s – early ‘70s was one of the ripest and most bountiful times in the chronicles of funk music; from coast to coast, from Canada to the tip of Florida, if your town had enough of a population to include a live venue for local musicians, then your town also probably had a funk band. This was not a scene fueled by hit records, and indeed many of those often-talented bands never got to record a single note on wax; instead, it was driven forward by the public’s insatiable love of dancing---remember, it was only a few years before this recording that many places in America still had laws which restricted dancing at shows! These guys were lucky enough to cut a couple singles, and breaks-heads everywhere will eternally rejoice that this particular track was archived for us to enjoy. The Phenomenals were headed by guitarist Harvey Hall-Nickerson and they were mainly to be found blowing up the stage in Cleveland or the surrounding areas; not surprisingly, this song was a staple of their live sets. The opening break is snappier than a new Armani suit, that see-saw bassline just pummels you, a little guitar lick, then BAM!! The tenor sax spreads a fat layer of bacon-grease over everything, and now we’re grooving like a hairy ‘70s porno; all jokes aside though, both Harvey on the guitar and James Ash on the sax take turns laying down some very dazzling solos. The whole piece works the hell out of this smoky, mid-tempo pace and it sort of gives you the feeling of bumping along in a nautical hoo-ride (think 1972 butterscotch Dodge Dart, chocolate brown top, with moonroof), taking care of some errands: check on your stable of hoes, rough up junkie that owes you money, buy some purple alligator shoes, get your cane back from the jewelry shop…you know, the usual business. This track needed no words because the picture it paints for you is that crystalline; it’s got afros for fucking days man. As the funk-prophet George Clinton famously once said, “Free your mind, and your ass will follow!”